2020 Edition

Background

Various small kingdoms ruled the area of Cote d'Ivoire between the 15th and 19th centuries, when European explorers arrived and then began to expand their presence. In 1844, France established a protectorate. During this period, many of these kingdoms and tribes fought to maintain their cultural identities -- some well into the 20th century. For example, the Sanwi kingdom -- originally founded in the 17th century -- tried to break away from Cote d’Ivoire and establish an independent state in 1969.  Cote d’Ivoire achieved independence from France in 1960 but has maintained close ties. Foreign investment and the export and production of cocoa drove economic growth that led Cote d’Ivoire to become one of the most prosperous states in West Africa. Then in 1999, a military coup overthrew the government, and a year later, junta leader Robert GUEI held rigged elections and declared himself the winner. Popular protests forced him to step aside, and Laurent GBAGBO was elected. Ivoirian dissidents and members of the military launched a failed coup in 2002 that developed into a civil war. In 2003, a cease-fire resulted in rebels holding the north, the government holding the south, and peacekeeping forces occupying a buffer zone in the middle. In 2007, President GBAGBO and former rebel leader Guillaume SORO signed an agreement in which SORO joined GBAGBO's government as prime minister. The two agreed to reunite the country by dismantling the buffer zone, integrating rebel forces into the national armed forces, and holding elections. In 2010, Alassane Dramane OUATTARA won the presidential election, but GBAGBO refused to hand over power, resulting in five months of violent conflict. Armed OUATTARA supporters and UN and French troops eventually forced GBAGBO to step down in 2011. OUATTARA won a second term in 2015 and a controversial third term in 2020 -- despite the two-term limit in the Ivoirian constitution -- in an election boycotted by the opposition. Through political compromise with OUATTARA, the opposition participated peacefully in 2021 legislative elections and won a substantial minority of seats. Also in 2021, the International Criminal Court in The Hague ruled on a final acquittal for GBAGBO, who was on trial for crimes against humanity, paving the way for GBAGBO’s return to Abidjan the same year. GBAGBO has publicly met with OUATTARA since his return as a demonstration of political reconciliation.

Area

land

318,003 sq km

total

322,463 sq km

water

4,460 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than New Mexico

Climate

tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons - warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October)

Coastline

515 km

Elevation

highest point

Monts Nimba 1,752 m

lowest point

Gulf of Guinea 0 m

mean elevation

250 m

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 5 00 W

Geography - note

most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated

Irrigated land

730 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Burkina Faso 545 km; Ghana 720 km; Guinea 816 km; Liberia 778 km; Mali 599 km

total

3,458 km

Land use

agricultural land

86.5% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 15.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 29.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 41.5% (2023 est.)

forest

12.4% (2023 est.)

other

1.1% (2023 est.)

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia

Major lakes (area sq km)

salt water lake(s)

Lagune Aby - 780 sq km

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage

Niger (2,261,741 sq km), Volta (410,991 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower

Population distribution

the population is primarily located in the forested south, with the highest concentration of people residing in and around the cities on the Atlantic coast; most of the northern savanna remains sparsely populated, with higher concentrations located along transportation corridors, as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest

Age structure

0-14 years

36.1% (male 5,437,108/female 5,390,782)

15-64 years

60.9% (male 9,200,957/female 9,060,748)

65 years and over

3% (2024 est.) (male 401,967/female 490,196)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

1.13 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

1.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

29.87 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

1.9% (2021)

women married by age 15

7.4% (2021)

women married by age 18

25.8% (2021)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

13.6% (2021 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

62.7% (2021 est.)

Death rate

6.93 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.7 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

21.2 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

72.2 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

67.5 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 58% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 72.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 86.2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 42% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 27.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 13.8% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

3.4% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

17.6% national budget (2024 est.)

Ethnic groups

Akan 38%, Voltaique or Gur 22%, Northern Mande 22%, Kru 9.1%, Southern Mande 8.6%, other 0.3% (2021 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.9 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

3.1% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

6.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

45.2 deaths/1,000 live births

male

59.5 deaths/1,000 live births

total

52.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Languages

French (official), 60 native dialects of which Dioula is the most widely spoken

major-language sample(s)

The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

65.4 years

male

60.9 years

total population

63.2 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

40.3% (2021 est.)

male

60.2% (2021 est.)

total population

50% (2021 est.)

Major urban areas - population

231,000 YAMOUSSOUKRO (capital) (2018), 5.686 million ABIDJAN (seat of government) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

359 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

21.2 years

male

21.2 years

total

20 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.6 years (2011/12 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Ivoirian

noun

Ivoirian(s)

Net migration rate

0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

10.3% (2016)

Physician density

0.17 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

female

15,863,065

male

15,992,906

total

31,855,971 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

2.33% (2025 est.)

Religions

Muslim 42.9%, Catholic 17.2%, Evangelical 11.8%, Methodist 1.7%, other Christian 3.2%, animist 3.6%, other religion 0.5%, none 19.1% (2014 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 41.5% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 64.2% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 84.6% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 58.5% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 35.8% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 15.4% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

11 years (2023 est.)

male

11 years (2023 est.)

total

11 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.82 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

0.6% (2025 est.)

male

14.9% (2025 est.)

total

7.8% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.85 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

53.1% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

12 districts and 2 autonomous districts*; Abidjan*, Bas-Sassandra, Comoe, Denguele, Goh-Djiboua, Lacs, Lagunes, Montagnes, Sassandra-Marahoue, Savanes, Vallée du Bandama, Woroba, Yamoussoukro*, Zanzan

Capital

etymology

formerly a village named N'Gokro, Yamoussoukro is named after Queen YAMOUSSOU, who ruled during the early 20th century; Abidjan's name may have come from a misunderstanding when a French explorer asked a group of women the name of the village -- thinking it was a question about what they were doing, they replied "t'chan m’bi djan," which in the Ebrie language means "I return from cutting leaves," so the explorer recorded the name of the locale as Abidjan

geographic coordinates

6 49 N, 5 16 W

name

Yamoussoukro (legislative capital), Abidjan (administrative and economic capital); note - the US Embassy is in Abidjan

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Cote d'Ivoire

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by the president of the republic or by Parliament; consideration of drafts or proposals requires an absolute majority vote by the parliamentary membership; passage of amendments affecting presidential elections, presidential term of office and vacancies, and amendment procedures requires approval by absolute majority in a referendum; passage of other proposals by the president requires at least four-fifths majority vote by Parliament; constitutional articles on the sovereignty of the state and its republican and secular form of government cannot be amended

history

previous 1960, 2000; latest draft completed 24 September 2016, approved by the National Assembly 11 October 2016, approved by referendum 30 October 2016, promulgated 8 November 2016

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Côte d'Ivoire

conventional short form

Côte d'Ivoire

etymology

name, which means "Ivory Coast" in French, reflects the ivory trade in the region from the 15th to 17th centuries; the French version of the name has been used internationally since 1986, at the country's request

former

Ivory Coast

local long form

République de Côte d'Ivoire

local short form

Cote d'Ivoire

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Jessica Davis BA (since 2 March 2023)

email address and website

AbjAmCit@state.gov https://ci.usembassy.gov/

embassy

B.P. 730 Abidjan Cidex 03

FAX

[225] 27-22-49-43-23

mailing address

2010 Abidjan Place, Washington DC 20521-2010

telephone

[225] 27-22-49-40-00

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Ibrahima TOURE (since 13 January 2022)

email address and website

info@ambacidc.org Ambassade de Cote D’ivoire aux USA (ambaciusa.org)

FAX

[1] (202) 204-3967

telephone

[1] (202) 797-0300

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Alassane Dramane OUATTARA (since 25 October 2025)

election results

2025: Alassane OUATTARA reelected president; percent of vote - Alassane OUATTARA (RDR) 91.2%, Jean Louis BILLON (DC) 3.1%, Simone Gbagbo (MCG) 2.4%, Ahoua Don MELLO (Ind.) 2.0%, other 1.3%  2020: Alassane OUATTARA reelected president; percent of vote - Alassane OUATTARA (RDR) 94.3%, Kouadio Konan BERTIN (PDCI-RDA) 2.0%, other 3.7%

election/appointment process

president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a single renewable 5-year term; vice president elected on same ballot as president; prime minister appointed by the president

expected date of next election

October 2030

head of government

Prime Minister Robert BREUGRE MAMBE (since 17 October 2023)

most recent election date

October 2030

Flag

description: three equal vertical bands of orange (left side), white, and green meaning: orange stands for the savannah and fertility, white for peace and unity, green for the forests of the south and the hope for a bright future; design based on France's flag

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

7 August 1960 (from France)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSCA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNMISS, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into Judicial, Audit, Constitutional, and Administrative Chambers; consists of the court president, 3 vice presidents for the Judicial, Audit, and Administrative chambers, and 9 associate justices or magistrates)

judge selection and term of office

judges nominated by the Superior Council of the Magistrature, a 7-member body consisting of the national president (chairman), 3 "bench" judges, and 3 public prosecutors; judges appointed for life

subordinate courts

Courts of Appeal (organized into civil, criminal, and social chambers); first instance courts; peace courts

Legal system

civil law system based on the French civil code; Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court reviews legislation

Legislative branch

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

Parliament (Parlement)

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

National Assembly (Assemblée nationale)

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

December 2025

most recent election date

3/6/2021 to 6/12/2021

number of seats

255 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) (139); Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire-African Democratic Rally (PDCI-RDA)-Together for Democracy and Sovereignty (EDS) (49); Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire-African Democratic Rally (PDCI-RDA) (23); Independents (26); Other (18)

percentage of women in chamber

13.4%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Senate (Sénat)

expected date of next election

September 2028

most recent election date

9/16/2023

number of seats

99 (66 indirectly elected; 33 appointed)

percentage of women in chamber

24.5%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1960; named after the former capital city of Abidjan

lyrics/music

Mathieu EKRA, Joachim BONY, and Pierre Marie COTY/Pierre Marie COTY and Pierre Michel PANGO

title

"L'Abidjanaise" (Song of Abidjan)

National color(s)

orange, white, green

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Comoé National Park (n); Historic Grand-Bassam (c); Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (n); Sudanese-style Mosques (c); Taï National Park (n)

total World Heritage Sites

5 (2 cultural, 3 natural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 August (1960)

National symbol(s)

elephant

Political parties

African Peoples' Party-Cote d'Ivoire or PPA-CI  Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire or PDCI  Ivorian Popular Front or FPI  Liberty and Democracy for the Republic or LIDER  Movement of the Future Forces or MFA  Pan-African Congress for People's Justice and Equality or COJEP  Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace or RHDP  Rally of the Republicans or RDR Together for Democracy and Sovereignty or EDS  Together to Build (UDPCI, FPI,and allies)  Union for Cote d'Ivoire or UPCI  Union for Democracy and Peace in Cote d'Ivoire or UDPCI

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

yams, cassava, oil palm fruit, cocoa beans, sugarcane, plantains, rice, rubber, maize, cashews (2023)

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

3.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on food

37.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$16.03 billion (2023 est.)

revenues

$12.351 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2020

-$1.974 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$2.874 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$5.394 billion (2022 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$26.576 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview

one of West Africa’s most influential, stable, and rapidly developing economies; poverty declines in urban but increases in rural areas; strong construction sector and increasingly diverse economic portfolio; increasing but manageable public debt; large labor force in agriculture

Exchange rates

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

575.586 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

554.531 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

623.76 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

606.57 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

606.345 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2020

$13.232 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$16.23 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$17.211 billion (2022 est.)

Exports - commodities

gold, cocoa beans, rubber, refined petroleum, coconuts/brazil nuts/cashews (2023)

Exports - partners

Switzerland 17%, Netherlands 9%, Mali 7%, USA 5%, Malaysia 4% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

27.6% (2024 est.)

government consumption

9% (2024 est.)

household consumption

66% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-27.1% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

24.5% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

0% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

17.9% (2024 est.)

industry

22.1% (2024 est.)

services

53.9% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$86.538 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

35.3 (2021 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

27.8% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

3.1% (2021 est.)

Imports

Imports 2020

$12.66 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$16.191 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$19.948 billion (2022 est.)

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, ships, refined petroleum, fish, rice (2023)

Imports - partners

China 16%, Nigeria 12%, France 6%, India 5%, USA 4% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

2.8% (2024 est.)

Industries

foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, gold mining, truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

5.3% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

4.4% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

3.5% (2024 est.)

Labor force

12.595 million (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

37.5% (2021 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

47% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$190.645 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$202.943 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$215.018 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

6.4% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

6.5% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

6% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$6,300 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$6,500 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$6,700 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2021

0.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

1.5% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

1.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

13.2% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

2.4% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

2.3% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

2.3% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

4.4% (2024 est.)

male

3.5% (2024 est.)

total

3.9% (2024 est.)

Electricity

consumption

8.746 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

971 million kWh (2023 est.)

imports

222.79 million kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

2.315 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.638 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

45.3%

electrification - total population

70.4% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

95%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

68.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

30.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

8.489 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

2.474 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

production

2.474 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves

28.317 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

100 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

87,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

29,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2023 est.)

total

425,000 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

state-controlled Radiodiffusion Télévision Ivoirienne (RTI) is made up of 2 radio stations (Radio Cote d'Ivoire and Fréquence2) and 2 TV stations (RTI1 and RTI2) with nationwide coverage, broadcasting mainly in French; 178 proximity radio stations, 16 religious radio stations, 5 commercial radio stations, and 5 international radio stations; government now runs radio station UNOCIFM, previously owned by the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire; in 2016, 4 media companies were granted licenses: Live TV, Optimum Media Cote d'Ivoire, the Audiovisual Company of Cote d'Ivoire (Sedaci), and Sorano-CI (2019)

Internet country code

.ci

Internet users

percent of population

41% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2024 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

245,000 (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

184 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

58.7 million (2024 est.)

Airports

29 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TU

Heliports

1 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

oil tanker 2, other 23

total

25 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Abidjan, Baobab Marine Terminal, Espoir Marine Terminal, Port Bouet, San Pedro

large

1

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

5

small

0

total ports

5 (2024)

very small

4

Railways

narrow gauge

660 km (2008) 1.000-m gauge

total

660 km (2008)

Military - note

the military (FACI) is responsible for external defense but also has a considerable internal role supporting the National Gendarmerie and other internal security forces; key areas of focus for the FACI are the country's porous international borders and the threat posed by Islamic militants associated with the al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) terrorist group operating across the border in Burkina Faso and Mali; AQIM militants conducted attacks in the country in 2016 and 2020; Côte d’Ivoire since 2016 has stepped up border security and completed building a joint counter-terrorism training center with France near Abidjan in 2020; Cote d'Ivoire has long maintained a close security relationship with France  the FACI has mutinied several times since the late 1990s, most recently in 2017, and has had a large role in the country’s political turmoil; it was established in 1960 from home defense units the French colonial government began standing up in 1950 (2025)

Military and security forces

Armed Forces of Cote d'Ivoire (Forces Armees de Cote d'Ivoire, FACI; aka Republican Forces of Ivory Coast, FRCI): Army, National Navy, Air Force, Special Forces; National Gendarmerie  Ministry of Security and Civil Protection: National Police (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 25-30,000 active FACI, including Gendarmerie personnel (2025)

Military deployments

180 Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the inventory of the FACI consists mostly of older or secondhand armaments, typically of French or Soviet-era origin; in recent years, it has received small quantities of newer and secondhand equipment from a variety of suppliers, including Bulgaria, China, France, Israel, South Africa, and the US (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

1.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.1% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.9% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

0.9% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

0.8% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-26 (up to 35 for healthcare professionals) years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription is authorized but reportedly not enforced (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees

69,176 (2024 est.)

stateless persons

930,978 (2024 est.)

Key space-program milestones

2023 - hosted an Africa-wide space industry conference; announced plans to acquire and launch first small remote sensing satellite (Yam-Sat- CI 01)  2024 - began joint project with Tanzania to build a technology-demonstrator cube satellite (TanSat-1)

Space agency/agencies

National Office for Technical Studies and Development (Bureau d'Études Techniques et de Développement or BNETD); Côte d’Ivoire Geographic and Digital Information Center (CIGN) (2025)

Space program overview

has a small, nascent program focused on satellite technology and geospatial information systems, as well as exploitation for resource management, environmental challenges, agricultural sector support, and national security; member of the African Space Agency and cooperates bilaterally with member states such as Tanzania (2025)

Terrorist group(s)

al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM); Jama’at Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from consumed natural gas

4.639 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

11.641 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

16.28 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

deforestation; water pollution from sewage and from industrial, mining, and agricultural effluents

International environmental agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Methane emissions

agriculture

192 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

187.7 kt (2022-2024 est.)

other

28.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

199.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

36 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

84.14 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

600 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

242 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

320 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

4.441 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

13.3% (2022 est.)